


Light of Hidden Flowers

by pushkin666



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Community: lewis_challenge, F/M, Lewis Secret Santa 2013
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-11
Updated: 2014-01-11
Packaged: 2018-01-08 09:28:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1130974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushkin666/pseuds/pushkin666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a Valerie Lewis centric fic.  It moves from when Val first started going out with Robbie, to that last final journey to London.</p><p><b>A/N:</b> Written for <a href="http://lewis-challenge.livejournal.com/75022.html">Lewis Secret Santa 2013</a> </p><p><a href="http://myxginxblossoms.livejournal.com/">myxginxblossoms</a> asked for a story focusing on Val and her relationship with Robbie. The title is taken from Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda. Thank you to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressKat">MistressKat</a> for an excellent beta, and for kicking my ass on this fic.</p><p>Also, do you know how difficult it is when even the writers mix the canon up, to figure out names, ages and dates!  From the pilot Lewis episode we know that Val was born in 1958 and died in 2002, so I’ve used that as a starting point and improvised.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Light of Hidden Flowers

**1976**

Val skips down the stairs, bag banging against her leg at each step. Taking her jacket down from the line of pegs on the wall, she pulls it on and hopes she can get out of the house without her dad seeing her. No such luck! She sighs quietly as she hears the creak of his armchair and a moment later he is standing in the lounge doorway looking her up and down, a frown on his face.

"Where are you off to, lass?" he asks. "Shouldn't you be helping ya mum? It is Saturday after all."

Yes it was Saturday, but she's been at college all week, something he seems to have forgotten about, Val thinks. It's not as if she'd been lazing around since finishing school. But she doesn't want a row with him, not today or any day really. 

"Nah dad." She leans up and gives him a quick kiss on his left cheek. "She knows I'm off out and she’s fine with it. I'm going to help her tomorrow."

He continues to stare and it's all she can do to stop herself from pulling her jacket closed. It's her favourite jacket; stonewashed denim covered in patches she's sewn onto it to brighten it up, and when it was fastened it fit tightly across her bust, emphasising her curves. She'd been wearing it when she first met Robbie, at the Strawbs concert - a band she particularly liked. 

"It's not like you to go out during the day with your face made up, so... Where are you off to?” He frowns at her, trying as always to be stern but Val, like her mum, knows that his bark is much worse than his bite.

"Football," she answers. "United are playing at home and Robbie got us tickets." Truth be told, she couldn't have given a damn about going to the match but Robbie was nearly as obsessed with United as he was with his police studies. More really. Cut him and he wouldn't bleed red. No, he'd bleed the black and white of the Magpies.

"Robbie." He nods his head slowly. "And this is the boy that you met at that _concert_? The boy I haven't met yet. That boy? You must like him to go see United play. You're about as interested in football as I am in that band, Queen, that you like. Here..." he puts his hand in his pocket and takes out a couple of crumpled pound notes. "Get yourself some food, although I don't recommend the pies they sell there," he says passing the money to her. “No beer though. Understand, not while you live in my house.”

"Cheers dad." Val pockets the notes, sliding them into her jeans pocket. She isn't surprised at his generosity. Her parents might not make much but they're never tight and if her dad has had a win on the horses they all benefitted. She leans up and kisses him again, before slinging her bag over her shoulder and picking up her key. 

As she turns away though, he stops her. 

"When the game is over Val, bring him home. I want to meet this Robbie. See who it is that can persuade my daughter to go to the football. Now off with you." He turns away before she can protest. "See you later lass," he tells her, heading back into the lounge and to his armchair.

"Dammit," Val says softly. She'd been trying to delay this for a while, wanting to keep Robbie to herself as long as she could but she knew the rules. Whilst she continued to live under her parents' roof, until she finished her secretarial course and managed to find a job and find somewhere of her own to live she had to abide by them. So she'd bring Robbie home and see how he'd enjoy being subjected to the third degree interrogation her father always gave her boyfriends. She smiles a little at that thought, wondering how Robbie would cope with it. Buttoning her jacket over her breasts and fluffing up her head she opens the door, leaving the house.

 

*****

"You ready?" She squeezes his hand.

Robbie smiles at her before reaching over and straightening the United scarf he'd bought for her earlier, his fingers tracing softly over her neck and Val shivers, even though the day was warm. "As ready as I'll ever be, pet," he answers. "Lead on, I don't mind meeting your parents; it was always gonna happen in any event."

 _Oh..._ and that was just. Well! Val’s heart skips a beat and she smiles back at him and squeezes his hand again. "Onward then. Into the fray. And trust me they're not quite as scary as they might seem.”

Robbie shrugs. "Doesn't really matter whether they are or not, they're not going to scare me off. Not from you." He looks as though he might be going to say more, might even lean in for a kiss but then he obviously thinks better of it. Probably concerned that her parents might choose that inopportune time to open their front door. 

Val can't stop smiling at him, well beaming really. Seemed they were thinking the same. "Come on then." She tugs at his hand. "No turning back now."

 

 

** 1984 **

Putting the last of the crockery away, Val turns and surveys the kitchen. Her new domain. It was more modern than she was used to. Robbie and she'd been lucky enough to get a small two bedroom modern house on their move to Oxford. It was because of the kids of course, although at some point they'd need somewhere bigger, with another bedroom. But at present Lynn and Mark are too small to want their own space and preferred to sleep in the same room, to be close to each other.

The house is on the edge of an estate and Val is glad, in her own way that they aren't too close to the centre of town. At least here, away from Robbie's station, they can have a life of their own. Or that's what she hopes. 

Oxford is very different to Newcastle; in both good and bad ways. It is certainly true what they said about the South; people weren't as friendly as they were in the North. The first time she said Good Morning to people on the street she'd received strange looks. At least the neighbours seem to be friendly, but then children were always a great ice breaker. Both Jan and Helen, in the neighbouring houses had children, and had been more than happy to invite Val in for a cup of tea and a chat. Which of course was more about finding out about Robbie and herself but Val doesn't really care about that. 

She's always prided herself in being able to get on with anybody, and thankfully because she's done a fair amount of temping at different companies in the Newcastle area before falling pregnant with Lynn, she's smoothed out the edges of her accent. The consequence of that was that she hadn't received the self same blank look that Robbie had, the first time he spoke to Helen. 

So far Val thinks that she's going to like Oxford, although she's not sure about Robbie but the opportunity is a good one for him. Besides, the city and its surrounding area are beautiful. And fingers crossed the kids might get a better education down here; some of that Oxford shine rubbing off on them. Val hopes so and it isn't as if they are completely away from family as Robbie's Aunt Cissy lives in Oxford. For over twenty years now, which, as she told Robbie, means there was something good about the place. All he had to do was to keep his head down and ignore the comments about 'dumb northerners and Geordies'. Keep going and prove to them that he was a good copper and knew what he was doing. Make friends, which he is good at doing when he put his mind to it. 

_Never mind,_ Val shakes her head. Pointless worrying about it. It will all work out in the end. They'll make friends and Robbie will admit this was a good move. Glancing up at the kitchen clock, she realises she's spent way more time unpacking and sorting things out than she'd meant to. Robbie would be home within the next hour or so. More than time enough to cook his favourite egg and chips. She's even gone out and bought a few bottles of Newcastle Brown. To celebrate the end of their first month in Oxford.

Things will work out. No matter what. 

 

 

** 1989 **

Val doesn't hear the doorbell at first, mainly because the children in the garden are making so much noise; running back and forth screaming and shouting happily. Even though she’s sure that she limited the party to twelve, there are more than that here and she thinks that Lynn probably issued an indiscriminate invitation to her school class. But it's Lynn's 10th birthday so Val isn't going to turn any of them away. Wouldn't even dream of it. She's only glad that she made extra food, and that there are a couple of friends here as well to help her and Robbie out. She sent Robbie out to the local shop to buy some more cakes, crisps and squash to add to what she already had as soon as the garden began to fill up.

It's a glorious day, the sun has been shining since morning, and Val is grateful once again that they have a garden so she doesn't have children running all over the house. She smiles at Robbie's attempts to try and corral all the kids into a circle so they can play pass the parcel before she turns and heads back into the kitchen to get some more drinks. 

Val checks that the jellies in the fridge have set correctly and then grabs a couple of bottles of lemonade. It's at that point that she hears the repeated knocking on the front door - knocking and the bell being pressed as well. Knocking that almost sounds annoyed. "Alright, alright. I'm coming," she calls. "Keep your hair on. Honestly!" She puts the bottles of pop on the floor, smoothes down the skirt of her dress and opens the door, surprised and unhappy at whom she sees standing there.

"Inspector Morse." She gives him a small smile even though she would rather there be anybody else at her front door right now. However, he is Robbie's boss and she doesn't actively dislike the man. Just has a horrible feeling that once again he's going to disrupt their family time. "What brings you here on a sunny Saturday afternoon? I'm sure you haven't come to help with the party have you? A children's party isn't really your thing is it?"

"Ah. Well..." if anything Morse looks uncomfortable, not a state of mind that Val would normally associate with him. On the few occasions that she has met him, he has always appeared confident. 

"Yes?" she asks.

"I do hate to interrupt Mrs. Lewis..."

Honestly this man! "Val," she interrupts. "Please don't call me Mrs. Lewis. It makes me feel as though I should look around for my mother-in-law. Val, or Valerie, if you prefer that." 

Morse nods slightly. "Well then Valerie, I hate to disturb Robbie's day off but we've been called in. A murder I'm afraid. A rather nasty one." He stares at her and it's hard for Val to stop herself from telling him exactly what she thinks of that. What she thinks of him right now. 

She was right of course about the disruption but Val knows that there's nothing she can do about it. She is, after all, a policeman's wife and knows what to expect. 

"I see," she responds. "Well do you need to leave straight away or can he have at least ten minutes to say goodbye to his daughter. It is after all, her birthday party and it would be nice if he saw her blow out the candles on her cake and I'm sure the body is already cold isn't it. Ten minutes more shouldn't make any difference."

"Ten minutes." He makes a point of looking at his watch and then smiles at her again. A rather challenging smile but Val doesn't care. "Of course." He starts to turn away. "I'll wait in the car for him."

There's no goodbye but she doesn't really expect it and Val glares at his retreating back before closing the door behind him, not wanting any of the kids to run out onto the street. Leaving the bottles of pop where they are she goes back into the kitchen, and slipping a box of matches into her pocket she picks up the birthday cake and heads out into the garden. It's sod's law that Robbie is getting called in today, even though he had made a point of taking the day off. But then it's Morse of course and he does what he wants, when he wants, without, as far as she can see, any consideration for anybody else. 

She's not sure about Morse, hasn't been since the first time she met him but that could well be that she simply doesn't understand what he's talking about most of the time. Feels foolish next to him and hasn't decided yet whether he is good for Robbie or not, whether Robbie would be better off working with somebody else. There's nothing she can do though and she plasters a smile on her face as she steps back outside.

"Come on kids," she calls. "It's cake time."

*****

"See ya later pet," Robbie bends down and kisses her. "I'll try not to stay out too late and I'm sorry about this, but you know what Morse is like." 

_Oh yes. I know exactly what he's like. Selfish!_ she thinks but doesn't say it. "Not your fault," she tells him truthfully. It's part of the job but if you can try and get back before Lynn goes to bed that would be great."

He nods but doesn't promise anything and for that Val is grateful. She doesn't like him to make promises that he has no guarantee of keeping. 

Watching him get into the Jag Val knows that however important Morse is in Robbie's life, however much time she spends with him and it's a lot, she and the children are more important and everything that Robbie does is for them. 

 

** 2002 **

She takes her magazine and drink out of the bag, and then settles back into the seat.

The train is thankfully not that full, but that's as much to do with the fact that even though it is a Saturday, it's not early in the morning and Val has missed the rush of the Saturday shoppers heading into London. Besides, she also treated herself to a first class ticket which is an unnecessary luxury but Val doesn't care. It's not that often that she visits London, maybe once every 6 - 8 weeks, and when she does, she likes to make an event of it; spoiling herself by getting a first class ticket, and then treating herself to a nice lunch and a glass of wine after she's finished shopping.

Robbie doesn't mind. He always tells her to enjoy herself, jokingly adding that she shouldn't spend all the 'house-keeping money'. Val smiles just thinking about her husband. It's hard to believe that they've been married now for over twenty years. There have been bad points, as there are in any long-term relationship, but they've been outweighed by the good. 

Moving to Oxford had turned out to be the best thing they could have done, for Robbie's career and for the family. Working with Morse proved to be the best thing for Robbie too. Val smiles, remembering how after an unprepossessing start she and Morse had gotten on well in the end, and his death two years ago had saddened her and she missed the curmudgeonly old bastard at times. She been surprised, and touched, when she found that Morse had left a third of his estate to Robbie. It was completely unexpected but had made life a little easier for them.

Val shakes her head, _too much wool-gathering was never any good for anybody_ , she thinks and opens up her magazine.

The train journey takes just over an hour and she can't wait to hit Oxford Street. It's Robbie's birthday in a couple of weeks and she's planning on booking a table at their favourite Italian restaurant. Just the two of them, without the kids. 

Her plans for today are to try and find a birthday present for Robbie, and to buy herself a new dress for the occasion. Robbie has always liked her in blue, and Val wants to look pretty for him.

She smiles again thinking about Robbie, and then turns her attention to her magazine.


End file.
